


Rewriting Fate

by The_Yellow_Pen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, And the warnings will go up as the story goes, Bellatrix Black Lestrange Lives, Horcruxes, Like when the war begins and all goes to hell, Multi, Please give it a try, Regulus Black Lives, Sirius Black Lives, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Well you get the idea, but later on, more characters later - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-09-13 15:45:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9131026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Yellow_Pen/pseuds/The_Yellow_Pen
Summary: What happens after you die? Do you go to heaven? Hell? Or limbo perhaps? Maybe you get stuck in oblivion.Regulus Arcturus Black was prepared for all this and more.He was however, NOT prepared to wake up on his bed.In his 15 year old body.Left with the sensations of thousands of skeletal hands roaming his body.He did not expect to return to the past after his death.Only to find his brother was the same.And his cousins were too--cept Andy.He did not expect THAT.And neither did they.





	1. After Death

**Author's Note:**

> The death of the Black brothers, with before and beyond.

He couldn’t see. He couldn’t hear. All he could feel were thousands of skeletal hands dragging him, pulling him even further into the freezing water.

How very like Voldemort to devise such a cruel and torturous way of dying. No more visions plagued his mind; the potion had lost its effects. Quite contrastingly, he was lucid, and he knew with absolute clarity that he was going to die.

He was going to die.

And it was terrifying.

It was oh-so-very terrifying.

His body thrashed about, refusing to accept his fate, to believe that this was the end. That he would die here.

In a cave.

At the age of 18.

Drowned in a lake by a thousand reanimated corpses.

NO.

His mouth gasped open. Yearning, longing for air. Alas, nothing but water was inhaled, and his lungs burned with such pain that he willed his body to still.

Enough. (Give up)

Enough pain. (Just end it all already)

And as the edges of his world started to close in, the boy (for he was still a child in body) wondered quite sadly-

-of a pair of grey eyes identical to his.

•°•°•

_A young boy gazed up at the starry night sky. His brother was leaving tomorrow on a train, and he wouldn’t be coming back for a long time._

_He sighed._

_Despite the fact that all they did was fight, he did care for his brother, as much as he cared for his Mum and Dad._

_“Mother and Father, Regulus.”_

_And no matter how many times he tried to convince himself, he knew he was going to miss his brother._

_With Sirius gone, he would be alone. His cousins would all be at school, while there was no way his parents are going to spend more than two minutes talking to him. (He was the spare, after all.)_

_Well, there was always Kreacher._

_The thought did nothing to lift his spirits. After all, what sort of truly pathetic wizard is he to have a house elf as his only friend?_

_The door to his bedroom creaked open._

_The boy didn’t turn his head as silent footsteps padded next to him._

_“Hey,” his brother hesitantly greeted._

_Regulus raised an eyebrow (he learned from his Dad-Father). Sirius had forbidden him to go to his room everytime there was a storm since he was 7._

_And now he’s here, the younger wondered._

_“Why are you here?”_

_Sirius shifted uncomfortably. “Oh, I don’t know. Just, wanted to say …” he faltered._

_… to say goodbye._

_The words went unspoken. Blacks do not say goodbyes. Blacks nod their heads in farewell. Blacks do not wear their emotions on their sleeves like bloodtraitors and mudbloods. Blacks don’t feel at all. Emotions are a weakness._

_He often wondered if it was truly possible to live without feeling._

_“So you’re going to Hogwarts tomorrow.”_

_“… yeah.”_

_“Hmm.”_

_“…you okay?”_

_“Why shouldn’t I be?”_

_“Oh, I dunno. Perhaps you’ll miss your big brother.”_

_“You think of yourself too highly.”_

_Sirius’ bark like laugh melted the awkwardness in the air._

_“… I suppose I will miss your obnoxious jokes and improper behavior.”_

_“Hah! I knew it! Don’t worry, little brother, and be patient. You’re joining me next year.”_

_“Seriously? Like you’re one to talk about patience.”_

_His brother grinned. “Yes, I’m Sirius,”  completely ignoring the rest of the sentence._

_Reg rolled his eyes at the stupid pun._

_“What? You are turning eleven this August; the next thing you know we’ll be prancing about the Great Hall.”_

_“Slytherins don’t prance, Sirius.”_

_Regulus turned his head to observe his brother, and as expected, Sirius had closed his expression, mouth a thin line._

_“Reg, I don’t think I’ll-”_

_“Stop,” Regulus shook his head._

_“Stop. Don’t-say it. I don’t want to hear it. Just-just--don’t.”_

_They stood side by side in silence._

_Eyes trained on the window, Reg asked,“... you’ll write to me, won’t you?”_

_Sirius tried a feeble grin. “Sure, I promise.”_

_His brother raised an eyebrow again. “Really. The Mighty and Prideful Sirius Black is making a **promise**?”_

_Said Black threw his head and laughed. His younger brother shrugged his shoulders in relief._

_“I am.”_

_“I’ll kill you if you break it.”_

_“Well, goodnight then,” and with that, the elder of the two softly padded the floor to return to his room._

_Regulus didn’t turn as he heard the soft click of the door going shut. He didn’t turn to lay down on his bed and sleep. Instead, the boy turned his head to the skies, and searched for the brightest star of them all. To that star, he wished from the bottom of his heart, that nothing would change. That everything would be alright._

_Five years later he would look at the same star and curse it. Curse it for breaking its promise. Curse it for leaving him alone. Curse it, for despite all odds, he did care._

•°•°•

He was fighting. Spells whizzing past  in an epic battle. Black versus Black, how fitting. They both hated each other with such a ferocity that the earth trembled beneath them.

The intensity of the fight increased. The spells flew faster. He was dodging, blocking, and then he was-

-falling.

All of a sudden he lost grasp of reality, everything replaced with a murky white calmness. Dimly aware of his godson’s scream, he thanked whatever was up there for giving him a painless death.

Until he heard a scream.

Sirius’ eyes burst open while his heart hammered wildly. Confused, he stumbled out of bed, only to find it has somehow enlarged itself. Eyes wide in wonder, he turned only to see his reflection on the mirror, forcing him to correct his previous assumption.

No, the bed didn’t suddenly turn titan.

No, he had somehow reverted-

-back to his 16 year old self.

As he stared at his reflection in disbelief, another scream pierced through his ears, followed by a rather loud thump.

By instinct, he dashed through the room, wrenching the door, right into the room across him.

Right in the doorway he stopped, staring at the figure lying on the floor, blanket strewn about.

For what does one say when faced with a sibling he knew was dead for more than 20 years?

 


	2. 20 August 1976

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus being Regulus and Sirius being Sirius. Har har har.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : None of these are mine, except the plot. They all belong to our fav author J.K. Rowling.
> 
> All mistakes are mine.

The room was silent.

The only sound able to be captured by human ears was the rhythmic breathing of the figure on the bed, buried beneath the deep green blanket.

Tiny birds chirped outside the glass windows, greeting the rising summer sun as the rest of the world started to wake up. All was peaceful.

Until a screech, shrill and high, woke the bed’s occupant.

Grey eyes snapped open, blinking rapidly as their owner took deep breaths, trying to calm down the erratic thumping  from his chest.

Once the haze had cleared and the room was peaceful once again, the grey eyes gazed around, trying to figure out where they were.

The soft rays of the sun filtered through the embroidered curtains, illuminating the room’s wooden floor, the patterned silver grey wallpaper, the green Slytherin banners, the old wardrobe, and the wooden desk resided by various objects: stacks of books, a silver and green striped tie, a prefect badge still shiny and new, a small box in silver wrapping paper with a ‘Happy Birthday’ tag, and a calendar showing the date.

_20 August, 1976_

The figure on the bed rose slowly, inhaling deeply into his lungs, as if for a moment he forgot what it felt like to breath. The room smelt of old wood and dusty parchment, tinged with a dash of perfume trying to cover up the room’s age.

The grey eyes gazed about the room confusedly. Softly, the figure attempted to escape the blanket, only to pause and stare at his hands.

For a minute or two that was all he did.

And then his gaze snapped up, and he saw his reflection in the mirror beside his wardrobe.

Two wide grey eyes stared back at him, framed by strands of raven black hair on the pale face of a fifteen year old boy.

He sucked in a harsh breath. Hands slowly untangling the blanket, he warily peered over the edge of his bed.

 Without warning, another shrill scream broke through the silence, causing the boy to jump and slip on his blanket, tumbling down onto the floor with a loud thump.

Wincing, the boy rubbed his sore body, mind whirring rapidly to figure out what to do now.

Then, his bedroom door banged open.

•°•°•

Sirius stared at the boy on the floor.

The boy stared right back.

_Regulus._

Unbidden, memories flitted in front of his eyes, memories formerly pushed back into the furthest edges of his mind.

_A little boy, a brother, a comrade and a companion, a snarky mouth,  different houses, different beliefs, different opinions,  arguments, insults, hexes, jealousy, falling out, hate, disdain, ignorance, a mark, a mask he could never see through, a war, fear, dread, a letter, a funeral he didn’t attend, a gravestone, etched on with a date that was far too early._

_A pair of identical grey eyes._

His mouth went dry. 

_What should I say?_

_What did I say?_

Sirius tried hard to remember how they used to converse peacefully during their age “now” was like.

He couldn’t remember a single thing.

•°•°•

Regulus stared at the figure leaning on the doorframe.

So he did return to the past.

If the calendar was to be trusted, then his 15th birthday had just passed and he was at home for the summer holidays before his fifth year.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Regulus gazed back at the person currently disturbing the privacy of his room.

It’s been a long time since he came face-to-face with Sirius.

Sure, he saw him during the war, _it’s hard not to when the stupid members of the Order of the Fried Chicken were all so arrogant, showing their faces to their enemies, it’s a wonder they weren’t wiped out as soon as the war started_ , but he was always wearing a mask. While during their Hogwarts school years, they had ignored each other, refusing to admit the other’s existence.

He couldn’t remember the last thing they had said to each other.

And now he was faced with this – this ghost – this memory. And this time he knew without a doubt that Sirius would leave. Leave his house, his family, his parents, and him.

_So why should he make an effort to play nice now?_

Mind made up, Regulus didn’t waste a second.

“Get the hell out of my room.”

There’s no reason to break his heart twice, anyway.

•°•°•

Sirius immediately scowled. The little bugger hadn’t changed at all from what he remembered.

“That’s the first thing you say when you see your brother?”

Reg looked at him as if he was dirt. How does he manage that while lying on the floor?

“No. It’s the first thing I say when I see _you_ in my room. And since when were you my brother?”

Sirius’s eyebrows rose up to his hairline. That was not what he expected.

“…what?”

Reg shut up immediately.

When he heard Sirius calling himself a brother, he had felt a surge of rage and indignation, unwittingly forgetting that this Sirius hadn’t left and been consequentially disowned – yet.

Without another word, he proceeded to throw the gaping person out of his room and smash the stupid alarm that woke him up in the first place.

_Stupid Uncle Alphard._

•°•°•

Sirius stared at the closed door that was the entrance to his younger brother’s room.

He felt disbelief, then a swell of righteous indignation, and finally a surge of red hot fury.

“Fine! See if I care!”

With that, he turned around and stalked into his room, banging the door.

He spent the rest of his time until lunch coming up with various insults and reasons to _why_ he should hate the ungrateful little brat.

•°•°•

When the nasty old house elf had promptly informed him that lunch was to be served, Sirius, who had managed to calm down a bit, felt a renewed and invigorated surge of blinding fury.

_So the old hag is down there, huh?_

Last time, he had learned to control his temper quite a bit, albeit failing quite often.

He saw no reason for that now.

And because of that, Sirius stepped into the dining room in blue frayed jeans and a red muggle T-shirt bearing ‘Long Live the Queen!’ in bold cursive writing in the front, grinning maniacally.

For insurance, he had pinned on his red and gold Gryffindor badge of course.

•°•°•

Regulus stared at the improperly dressed figure approaching the dining table.

It had been easy for him to slip back into his home routine, he had died when he was only eighteen after all, and he could remember dining with his parents as if it was yesterday.

But seeing Sirius, who for all his brashness and pure Gryffindor stupidity, thought it wise to wear _muggle_ clothing in front of _Mother_ …

It was only trough sheer power of will did he not choke on air right there and then.

His mother obviously didn’t have the same control.

 

_Sirius Black vs. Walburga Black_

_Round 1.121.075, commence._

 

•°•°•

 

After a rather explosive lunch, Regulus opted to return to his room and sort out his thoughts, finding Sirius’s behavior a bit strange.

He knew that Sirius had hated Mother, but now it seemed as if the hate had multiplied a thousand times, and this Sirius held no fear for punishments at all.

Of course, Regulus had no clue that Sirius was in the same situation as him.

That is, until he heard the stupid git muttering while pacing inside his room with the door so wide and invitingly open.

Thankfully, neither his parents or Kreacher were anywhere near hearing vicinity.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So all Reg and Sirius will have a one year difference. Andy, Bella, and Cissy will too. Bella shall be a seventh year, Sirius and Andy sixth years, Narcissa and Regulus as fifth years.  
> This fic will be updated weekly, either every Friday or Saturday, so keep an eye out for it!  
> Please leave a comment and kudos, I'd love hearing from you!


	3. What Could Never Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, if you're interested in reading more Reggie, go check out Fairy Rave's Emerald Flames. It's a Regulus Lives AU set during the first war with Voldie.  
> Enjoy the chapter!

They say when you see something over and over again, you get used to it.

For example, if you have sisters who love to surprise you with their day-to-day action, you get used to it, and you won’t be surprised when they do something insane anymore.

So when Andy woke up at 5 am to the sound of Bella running around the whole house screaming, “Yes! YES! Yes! YESH! Woo-hoo!” while laughing hysterically, she simply raised her blanket to cover her ears and went back to sleep.

And while you might be wondering if she had lost her marbles, to Andy this wasn’t unusual at all.

It was rather normal, actually.

So begins the usual day of Andromeda Black.

Her screeching alarm clock (a gift from Uncle Alphy) screeched at exactly 7 a.m. every morning.

Rising up, she’d stretched her body and open her windows, letting the sun’s rays light up the room.

After taking a cold shower to ensure that she was fully awake, Andy would then proceed to go downstairs to dine a luxurious breakfast with her Father, Mother, and her two darling sisters.

As for today, Bella was grinning maniacally while she grabbed hold of the various types of food and proceeded to stuff them down her throat.

Cissy, on the other hand, was (unusually) incredibly mellow and (strangely) didn’t wear her make up at all.

Andy took her time to down her meal and spent the rest of the day engaging in her various hobbies like usual. As if her eldest sister didn’t suddenly revert into a 5 year old toddler and her baby sister wasn’t acting like an old grandma.

Oh! And as usual, she sent a letter to dear Ted Tonks.

Secretly, of course.

•°•°•

_“Sirius.”_

_A young boy lounged on the couch of a parlor decked in green._

_“Sirius.”_

_His eyes were closed, and for once nobody was going to chastise him for taking a little nap outside his stuffy old bed._

_“SIRIUS.”_

_The boy let out a sigh, content. The gate to the land of dreams were right -_

_“SIRIUS!”_

_Or not._

_“Uuuuurggh. What?” Sirius asked, irritated at his little brother for destroying his nap._

_“Mu – Mother said only to sleep on beds, not couches. Besides, it’s already late, we should just go to our rooms and sleep there. I need you to turn off the fire. Father said they were going to apparate home.”_

_Sirius groaned. “Is it nine already?”_

_“Apparently so. Kreacher just came to remind me.”_

_“Oh? And where is the wrinkly old bat now?” Kreacher was quite annoyingly known to stalk and report their – correction, his misbehaviors to Mummy Dearest._

_“I managed to convince him we could go to bed ourselves just fine. And don’t call him that,” Reg added miffed. “Hurry up, will you?”_

_Of Merlin and Morgana, he would never understand what Regulus saw in that house elf._

_“I don’t want to,” he whined._

_His brother only gave him a deadpanned stare._

_“What? Don’t look at me like that. I wanna stay up late for once, or maybe we could – ”_

_Ding!_

_Sirius’s face broke out into a wild grin. Reg fidgeted._

_“Oh no. Oh no no no no no no. Whatever you’re thinking right now, NO.”_

_“Come on, it’ll be fun!”_

_“I have zero idea what you’re talking about.”_

_If possible, Sirius’s grin grew even wider._

_“How ‘bout we sleep here?”_

_“Huh?”_

_“It’ll be awesome, we can grab some pillows and blankets and make a tent, it’ll be like camping, but indoors! INDOOR CAMPING! Ooh! and then we order Kreacher to make us some snacks. Oh yes! Yes!”_

_Reg stared with his mouth wide open. “There are so many things wrong with that sentence that I’m not sure where to begin.”_

_“So yes?”_

_“NO!”_

_The younger brother massaged his temple and sighed, “First of all, we are NOT allowed to play in the parlor. Second of all, Mother is going to kill us if she finds out. And lastly, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ASLEEP!”_

_Sirius huffed, “So basically you’re too much of a baby to do it.”_

_Regulus flushed._

_“I’m not a baby!”_

_“Yes, you are.”_

_“I’m not!”_

_“A baby AND a chicken. Buck – buck – buck – Buckaah!”_

_Regulus’s face turned crimson. Not wasting a single second, he pounced on his older brother and the both of them tumbled down the couch._

_“Oof – ”_

_Reg moved to strike, but before he could swing his fist, Sirius’s hands attacked his sides._

_“Gasp! – ahaha – you – ahaha – you cheater! Ahaha – stop – Stop! Ahhahah – I’ll – gasp – I’ll kill you!”_

_“What? I can’t hear you!”_

_“Oh! Aahhaha – you – gasp – you Bastard!”_

_“What? I still can’t hear you~”_

_“Gah! – ahha – you – ahaha – stop  – hahaha – Stop – gasp – right now!”_

_Regulus took hold of a pillow and hit his older brother’s head. “Take that! And that!”_

_“Ow – ow – ow! You little twat!”_

_Grabbing a pillow, Sirius rounded on his brother._

_“Vengeance!” he screamed._

_“Ah! You idiot!”_

_They laughed, they screamed, they chased each other around the room throwing pillows, jumping from couches and armchairs. Not caring at all what happens next. For a while they weren’t two sons of an ancient house. They were two little boys, brothers more than anything. Sirius thought he rather liked it when Regulus laughed, his usually emotionless face would light up like a christmas tree. It gave him a warm, bubbly feeling knowing he caused it. In return, he let out his own barking laugh._

_“I’m SO gonna get you for that!”_

_“I’d like to see you - ”_

_Click!_

_The door opened. The boys froze. Orion and Walburga Black loomed grievously in the doorway._

_Regulus swallowed nervously. Mother was gaping like a gold fish, while Father’s face was a blank mask._

_“Mother, Father, you’re… home early,” Sirius greeted._

_Their mother’s eyes seemed to bulge. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?! IT’S ALREADY –”_

_Orion raised a hand, stopping her. He observed his two sons. Regulus had the grace to avert his eyes, looking guilty, while Sirius stared back defiantly despite his nervous posture. He looked from one end  of the parlor to the other. “…what were you doing?”_

_“Pillow fighting,” Sirius replied._

_Slowly, Orion lifted a cushion, “May I join?”_

_His youngest son squealed excitedly while his eldest gaped open-mouthed at him._

_“Orion!”_

_“Oh come on, Wally! One time won’t hurt anyone.”_

_His wife only stood to the side grumbling, then –_

_Whack!_

_Orion stared at the outstretched hand._

_“Oh Merlin!” Sirius laughed, “I can’t believe it! Reggie, finally!”_

_Walburga gaped disbelievingly at her youngest child. Regulus looked sheepish._

_Taking slow strides forward, her eyes glinted dangerously. “You **dared** to do that?”_

_Regulus shrieked as all two boys and one man got hit with an onslaught of flying pillows._

_That night was the first and last time in what he could remember of his family playing together, enjoying themselves, laughing, joking. His parents for once tucked both he and his brother to bed and wished them goodnight, loving smiles on their faces._

_He was happy_.

•°•°•

Regulus stared blearily at the ceiling.

_Stupid dream._

He used to love that dream. A figment of hope that his family would always be family. A family that loves each other.

But as time went on, he realized that the dream became impossible.

Something that could never be.

And the dream became a curse, torturing him, causing hate to bubble up and eat away his heart.

He hated his father, for not getting closer to them. He hated his mother, for giving up so easily. He hated his brother, for leaving them all.

But most of all he hated himself, for not doing anything at all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a filler chapter before all.five cousins meet. How did you like the memory? I think a bunch of fluff with a tiny bit of angst is just perfect. For me, ahaha. Should I add more of these? Please comment down below!


	4. Oh Narcissa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so so so so sorry. I had my first writer's block and it was hell. To compensate, here's a longer chapter.
> 
> Thanks for all the likes and reviews! They're the only things keeping me from throwing this story to the bin. I have nearly zero confidence in my own writing.  
> And please read the notes below, they're IMPORTANT!

Regulus sat in the great Black library, in front of him a table piled with stacks upon stacks of old books. The hesitant rays of dawn shone softly through the tall glass windows, bringing with it the soft melancholic colors of a new morning. Down below, people went about their daily lives, walking through the London streets, the slumbering city starting to wake.

When the dream had woken him up, he had instantly got dressed and went to the library, knowing from experience that sleep would only be a mere fantasy.

The library was silent. Not a word, a mutter, a single whisper.

Regulus liked the silence. It was an old and constant companion through his life.

Even back when he was younger, his parents had paid more attention to his brother, Sirius Black, the heir.

And even though he desperately wished he didn’t, he _did_ mind. Feeling ashamed of himself for caring, he had resolved to become independent. He didn’t need his parents’ constant attention, he’d be just fine. He would grow up and show them that _he_ was the better son, that unlike his brother, he _deserved_ to be doted upon. And so begun his quest to fulfill expectations that seemed _very very much impossible_ to reach.

But in the end he was still a child, and when the pressure became too much, Reg secluded himself in the library, hidden from the rest of the world behind tall stacks of books, surrounded by the smell of old parchment and dry ink.

The books were his companions, his friends. They told him about the world, places he’d never seen, unique and intriguing facts about magic, in-depth studies of ancient times, history, and of course the occasional tale of fiction. They were his favorites, they drew him in and took him to a different place, a different part of the globe, to ancient rituals and civilizations, to fairytale kingdoms or a city of superheroes and villains. To lives very much unlike his own. Stories where the protagonist would prevail against the evil antagonist, no matter what

He used to believe he was the protagonist once. He knew better now.

Sometimes he wished he could just go through a book, escape from his life, and enter a different one. A perfect one, with warm sunshine and family and friends. He’d dream of bringing his parents with him, and his cousins and the whole family. Maybe even Sirius.

But those daydream days were over. He had grown and had accepted reality. He had learned his role in the world, and had done it with great responsibility.

And look where he ended up.

The boy sighed, closing ‘ _Time Travel : An In-Depth Study of the Theories and Mechanism of Magic and Time, complete with a collection of articles regarding time accidents_ ’ with a loud thump.

Laying his head on the thick tome, he let his tired eyes flutter shut, inhaling the still chilly air.

_What now?_

Nothing in the book had been helpful to him. And there was nothing in the books before it.

If he really did return from the past (and he was quite sure of it), then he had the advantage of foresight.

Problem is, what he should do about it.

Could he change it? Tamper with the future? Or would that make it worse?

One thing for sure, he had no intentions of dying anytime soon.

Ah, and he’s definitely not going to take the Mark this time.

Sighing, he got up and decided to get himself tidied up. His cousins were coming later on and he did not want to look like a dirty vagabond.

Truth be told, he was quite vain.

•°•°•

Narcissa and Bellatrix arrived just in time for supper, along with Uncle Cygnus and Aunt Druella.

A reluctant Sirius greeted them, with Regulus following closely behind.

It was a bit strange, Regulus thought. His aunt and uncle were exactly like how he remembered them. Bellatrix was… well, _Bellatrix_. He was unsure on how he felt about her, the Dark Lord’s most loyal follower. On the other hand, seeing Cissy was more than pleasant. They had been close, the two youngest in the family. They had shared a tight bond, built upon their rather reserved personalities and the burden of having older siblings. She had been the one he’d go to during troubling times, a solid place to lean on when times were rough.

But then she went and got married, to Lucius Malfoy no less.

He was left behind again.

Shaking his head, _no use dwelling on that,_ he gave her a soft smile. At least he still had her now.

Much to his surprise, Cissy seemed to… tear up.

Without warning, she wrapped her arms around him, engulfing him in a hug.

He went stiff, surprised. Even if they did care for each other, physical shows of affection were rare in their family.

He patted her back awkwardly. To be truthful, he kind of liked it. He felt so… so warm.

When was the last time he’d been held like this?

It only lasted for a few seconds. She let go, and the party moved into the dining room.

He found himself longing for another embrace.

•°•°•

“How great it is to see you again, Druella. As young and beautiful as ever.”

“You as well, Walburga. Thank you for inviting us.”

“Your company is always a pleasure, but I can’t help but notice a missing niece. Whatever happened to Andromeda?

“Apparently she was feeling unwell and had requested to stay at home and rest instead.”

“Oh, but we all know Drommy’s just looking for an excuse, Aunty,” Bellatrix cut in, smiling too sweetly.

“Why, Bella! Don’t - ”

Regulus tuned out the conversations between his mother, aunt, and oldest cousin and focused on massacring the contents of his lunch instead.

It felt unreal somehow. Yesterday he was on a crazy, meticulously planned, suicidal mission.

Now he was eating supper. Huh.

He felt glad really. He expected death, but he was alive now.

He was alive.

Oh Merlin.

But now felt too much like the calm before the storm. The short moment of peace before the war truly begins.

It had already started after all.

Feeling a bit heavy, he was grateful that Sirius, for once, didn’t seem intent on ruining the peaceful evening. Regulus remembered the suspicious things he overheard Sirius muttering the other day.

“…save them…I can save them!...”

Unfortunately, Mother called him before he could find out more. 

His bro – Sirius seemed quite solemn, eating silently with the use of his right hand only. As if he was thinking.

_Sirius Black thinking? Impossible._

But yes, the signs were all there. The deep furrow of his eyebrows, the slightly down-turned lips, the rhythmic tapping of his left middle finger, and that rarely seen twinkle in his eyes which meant he was planning something.

Wait a second. He’s planning something.

_Oh bloody hell._

“So, are you looking to your fifth year at Hogwarts?”

It took him a moment to notice the question his aunt directed at him.

“Quite a bit, Aunt Druella. It’s OWL year and I’d like to see how it would all play out. My letter came just a few weeks ago.”

Yes, he’d rather like a repeat of his fifth year.

“Regulus has been made a Prefect,” his mother added, her voice high and proud.

She looked at him, fierce eyes pleased and approving, proud of his accomplishment. And he felt such a swell of pride in his chest, growing bigger and bigger, threatening to swallow up his whole being with – with this wonderful, bubbly, warm feeling.

He pushed down the urge to grin like an idiot, and coolly said, “ Oh yes, there’s that too. Nothing much really.”

And when his mother looked at him again in approval, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly, his heart leapt with joy.

Was it wrong for a son to want his mother proud of him?

•°•°•

Narcissa mentally berated herself for hugging her youngest cousin like that.

She was still a bit bewildered and perhaps more than a little confounded, but seeing his face, young and alive, and associating it with his… grave (they never found a body, did they?), and seeng him  _smile_.

She couldn’t bear the thought of him dying just a few years from now, innocence smeared in blood.

She shook her head, she still shouldn’t have acted like that. She had a chance to do something now, didn’t she?

She had to act normally.

Turning to the 15 year old, she chose a topic she knew he loved, “Regulus, are you planning to join the team this year? The former seeker had graduated, it’s an open position.”

Much to her bewilderment, her cousin didn’t launch into an explanation of quidditch tactics or loopholes. Instead, he seemed to ponder over her question with something akin to… bitterness?

It was then a seed of thought planted itself in her mind, the same one from when Bella had a tantrum because, no, she was not going to see that bloody disgrace of a Black if she could help it.

“Perhaps.”

The seed grew and started sprouting leaves.

“Perhaps?”

“I’d be awfully busy with all the OWLs I’m planning to take.”

It grew bigger and bigger into a little tree.

“Not to mention I have prefect duties,” his grey eyes lit up as if remembering something, “Were you made prefect as well, Cissy?”

The tree grew branches. It was fully covered with leaves now.

“I was. It seems that we’ll be working together from now on.”

Her cousin gave her a little smile, looking relieved, “Yes indeed. We’ll get to enjoy our last three years together then.” He spoke as if she would go and leave.

And she did, didn’t she? She went and got married and had a son.

Ah, her Draco. She couldn’t save him last time. But now, now she can, and she will.

But that didn’t explain how her youngest cousin knew.

_No._

She was getting ahead of herself. It was just how she perceived him. Really, a grandma should be wiser, but somehow she felt so young, like a 15 year old again.

“How is he, Cissy?”

“Who?”

Regulus raised an eyebrow, “Lucius Malfoy? Your…” a look of realization crossed his face and he promptly shut his mouth.

She blinked, “Oh?”

Lucius had not proposed to her yet. Soon, but not yet.

The tree had flowers now, blooming and turning into ripe, tantalizing fruit, just waiting to fall down.

_Plunk! Plunk!_

‘ _Oh_ ’ indeed.

•°•°•

Sirius was ecstatic, perhaps more.

He’d been spending every second awake planning and strategizing.

And that was saying something.

Now here he was, sitting prim and proper on the table, ready to save the whole wizarding world.

Har har har. He liked the sound of that.

Sirius fidgeted. He couldn’t wait to see James and Remus and Lily. He had lost them, and then chucked into Azkaban for a whole decade and more. Talk about life, sheesh.

But this time it was different.

This time, he could save James and Lily.

This time, he could protect Harry.

This time, he could stop the war.

…or maybe not, since he died before it ended, and he wasn’t sure if it did end at all, and if yes, then how.

 _Details, details._ He’d work it all up later.

And oh, it would be _so_ fun to prank Snivellus again.

The greasy git would pay.

And oh, the _things_ he would do to that rat. He was cutting all ties between him and them. Then he’d kill him after torturing him and hanging him upside down from the Astronomy tower.

...maybe he was more like his family than he knew.

•°•°•

Regulus was lounging in the library, hands propping up a little book.

The grown-ups were talking in the lounge and kids were banned from the room. It didn’t matter much to him, as soon as dinner was over he had excused himself and left the table.

The young Black had deliberately chose to seclude himself in his favorite room. The library.

Regulus stared at the neat, printed letter on the cover.

_The Tales of Beedle the Bard_

Why was he reading a children’s book?

Frankly, he was tired of not understanding anything and frankly, he was taking a well-deserved break.

From the whole world in general.

With that, he returned to reading The Fountain of Fair Fortune.

Feeling a bit mellow, he allowed a few fond memories wash over him, reminding him of both warmth and bitter loss.

He remembered the first time he read the book. Sirius had promised to read with him for his fifth birthday. His older brother had snuck into his room when their parents were fast asleep, carrying the thin storybook.

Suffice it to say, their mother was less than pleased to find them asleep in the same room on top of a forbidden fairytale book when she went to wake them up.

His solemn mood was suddenly interrupted by the loud creak of the library’s great doors going open.

He watched, with more than a little amusement, as Narcissa strode towards him, with Sirius at her left and Bellatrix at her right.

Both were being ruthlessly dragged, stumbling across the wooden floorboards. It seemed that a silencing charm had been issued, for even though their mouths were moving in frightening ferocity, not a word was uttered to the silent room.

Narcissa dumped them both at his sides and proceeded to seat herself across from them.

Her blue eyes stared straight at him. She parted her lips.

“So, we all died.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT:  
> 1\. Would you like The Cursed Child to be canon or not?  
> 2\. Which character in the Marauder's Era would probably be Regulus' best friend?  
> And yes, your answer would most definitely affect the story. Think it like a voting system. Tell me in the comments!


	5. Nothing and Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've decided to make a bit of Cursed Child canon. Not to worry, the characters won't appear in this story. I'm just going to use Delphini as a backstory for Bella. As to who'll be Reg's best friend, you'll have to see for yourself later.

“So, we all died.”

Regulus’ breath hitched. Mind immediately whirring, searching for a way to deny it. Swallowing down the rising panic, he called forth his barriers, making sure his mind was protected and locking up his emotions for now. He needed a clear head. Lifting his head, he felt the same detachment every time he used Occlumency.

To his left, Sirius spluttered, eyes darting about the library, focusing on the great oak doors. “Wha – what? Ahaha, nice uh,… joke? Yeah, nice joke! Ahahha..ha..ha?”

_Smooth. Real smooth, Sirius._

Narcissa regarded Sirius coolly, taking his reaction as an affirmative, she continued, “It’s really not that hard, Sirius. The way you stared at Bella was clue enough. Besides, your eyes are older than your looks.”

_Ah, Cissy, sharp as always._

_Will that be a blessing or a curse?_

At his right, Bellatrix had gone uncharacteristically silent.

Narcissa, who noticed as well, quickly explained, “You were the easiest, Bella. Although at first I wasn’t sure for you’re quite sane now,” at that she gave a half-hearted shrug, “but your eyes… they have that Azkaban look, Bella,” she finished quietly.

Just like Sirius, the words went unsaid.

Bella gave a sharp giggle. “As expected of you, Cissy dear.”

Narcissa nodded softly, finally turning to the room’s last occupant.

Sirius was still spluttering in the background, furiously denying anything and everything.

Regulus stared back, eyes like mirrors, making it impossible to know his thoughts and feelings. _Ironic_ , thought Narcissa, _they were what gave him away in the first place._

“Regulus.. the conversation at dinner was the first clue.”

Her cousin still wouldn’t say anything.

She hesitated, her youngest cousin was the least predictable at times, “But what made me so sure were… your eyes.. Reg, you’ve lost your innocence.”

 _Innocence?_ Observing his cousin’s pitying gaze, he let out a laugh that sounded bitter to his own ears, “I was never innocent, Cissa.”

His voice barely a whisper, he continued coldly, “I don’t need your pity, Narcissa.”

 _There_ , he had admitted, deciding it was the better option. It meant they were in the same situation together.

Narcissa simply gazed back at him, unruffled. He really had changed. Gone were the childish acts she saw in him earlier, now all that’s left was the bitter countenance of someone who had to grow up too soon. There was no saving him now. He had done his deeds, and he was paying for them even now.

The same could be said for all of them.

Sirius had finally gone silent, deeming his efforts to deny the statement worthless.

A dreary silence fell upon them, each deep in their own thoughts.

“When… did you all wake up?”

Regulus stared at his cousin, who was taking charge of the whole situation. Privately, he wondered how she died. Did she live a long life? Was she happy? She had a son, didn’t she? What happened to him?

A thought suddenly occurred to him.

Abruptly, he stood up.

“Cissy.. the war… what happened to the war?”

Three pairs of wide eyes stared back at him, obviously surprised by his sudden move.

“Tell me. Did he die?”

“Who?”

“ _Him_.” 

Her face lit up with realization. “Oh, well… he disappeared, but… he came back.” Sirius snorted while Bella glared daggers at him.

His heart plummeted to his stomach. _The locket wasn’t destroyed_. “And?” he inquired.

“There was a second war.”

He winced. _Useless_. He died for nothing. In the end, he was still a failure. His only act of disobedience. Worthless after all.

“But he died.”

His head snapped up so fast he thought his neck would break. Sirius was looking at Narcissa as well. Bellatrix, on the other hand, was staring at the old books neatly arranged on shelves and shelves of history.

“Who? When? Where?” he asked, voice a fervent whisper.

“…Harry Potter. The Battle of Hogwarts, 2 May 1998.”

“Harry..,” Sirius whispered, sorrow and longing evident in his voice.

Regulus quelled the ridiculous jealousy he felt and focused on piecing the puzzle together.

So someone _did_ find out He made horcruxes.

“Who’s Harry?”

“James and Lily Potter’s son.”

Reg knew his eyebrows had shot up. “A _kid_ defeated the Dark Lord?”

Sirius smirked gleefully, “ Yup. Made him disappear when he was one, too.”

_What? A baby?_

Eyes burning like dancing flames, he demanded, “Tell me everything.”

Narcissa gazed at him, looking sorrowful, “There are many things to tell. Regulus, you…” 

_You died early. Too early. Before anything happened._

Every person in the room could hear the unsaid words.

Regulus growled, “Just say it out loud, Cissy. I already know, don’t I?”

Bellatrix tutted at him, and he realized he had practically announced his true allegiance out loud in front of the Dark Lord’s most devout follower.

_So much for secrecy._

But right before anyone could say anything else, the doors opened, and Druella and Cygnus Black appeared to collect their daughters.

 _We’ll talk later,_ Cissy mouthed as she rose from her seat, Bellatrix following behind her.

“Goodbye, Regulus. Sirius.”

•°•°•

Sirius stared at the boy next to him. The same black hair, the same grey eyes. It was like looking into a mirror, albeit a less handsome mirror.

Clearing out his throat, “Erm, so, well, nice to see you?”

No reaction.

“Urm, look, can’t we just talk?”

Still nothing. His brother seemed dead set on ignoring him.

“Oh come on, Reg. I want us to at least be on speaking terms with each other.”

At this, Regulus turned his head slightly at him.

Encouraged, Sirius went on, “I want us to be brothers again.”

And with that, Regulus turned to fully face him. His grey eyes wide while something glimmered in their depths. He couldn’t name it.

He was always awful at reading his baby brother.

Grinning, glad he got his attention, Sirius plowed on, “I mean, you betrayed him right? Now you know that Mother and Father were wrong, and Voldy’s just a no good racist who had lost his marbles. I forgive you for joining those wannabe Death Eaters in the first place. Turns out you’re not so hopeless after all. So what do you say?”

He actually had to step back from the fury and indignation on Regulus’ face. 

“Forgive me? _Forgive me?_ ” the boy hissed, “Who do you think you are? Besides, you only want that because you think I betrayed Him!”

Sirius scowled, disgusted at himself for offering forgiveness to a bloody Death Eater. “What? I thought you – ”

“See! You’re not even denying it!” Regulus continued viciously, his mind remembering the words he heard Sirius mutter the other day. He didn’t hear his name once in the list of people Sirius wanted to save. It hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

Hopeless.

He was hopeless.

Sirius rubbed his face tiredly, realizing his brother _did_ betray Voldemort. “Oh come on, Reg. It’s been years. Can’t you just let it go?”

If possible, Regulus felt his temper flare even more.

“ _Don’t call me that_.”

 Stalking to the door, he furiously whispered, “To you it might have been years, but for me today is just like yesterday.”

He could recall everything so very clearly. Sirius left him last time, didn’t he? Well, he was leaving him now.

Sparing the pathetic figure by the table a last glance, he opened the great doors with a loud creak.

“Nothing has changed.”

The doors shut.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next one is the Hogwarts Express.  
> Btw, here's a fun question : What's your Hogwarts House?  
> I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. Can you guess mine?


	6. Author's Note

Hey there, the Yellow Pen here!

Um, I don't really know how to say this, so I'll just go straight to the point.

...no, I'm not going on a hiatus.

Life has been busy. (Because it's life) I won't whine and proclaim how unfair it is cause I'm sure everyone has their own problems. Point is, I'm having difficulties to keep up with the weekly schedule. Therefore, I have decided to change my weekly update into... an unscheduled? update.

I have no idea when I'm going to finish a chapter, but as soon as I am I'll upload it.

This won't go on forever, just until my schedule goes back to normal.

I am so, so sorry for not being able to keep my promise. (And I hope you won't kill me)

Thank you and see you in the next chapter. (Next week, I think?)

P.S. I'm a Slytherin. Sssss

 

 

.....I'm sorry.


	7. On the Hogwarts Express

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to dive right into the story, then go ahead. If you'd rather stay and read my lame excuses then I am eternally grateful.  
> First of all, I owe you all an apology. Why took this short chapter so long? Well, first of all, school, but that's over a few weeks ago. Second, I've... been in a bit of an emotional turmoil, sorry. Third, and the main reason, is because this chapter was very, very, very hard to write. This is one of those checkpoint chapters, where I set the mood and the decide what are the characters' relationships, their decisions, their future plans. Quite fitting for it to be in the train, huh? I had to rewrite so many things to finally be satisfied. I can't express my thanks enough for waiting so long. Please enjoy the chapter.

“Whoops! Sorry there, mate.”

“Watch it, Black!” his housemate yelled.

But Sirius was already gone, zooming through the crowds as if being chased by the devil.

He ran.

Through the doors. Down the corridors. Past the million blurred faces on the windows. Narrowly missing the trolley witch. Ramming through a bunch of excited first years, colliding with a solemn Ravenclaw, and there, the compartment whose door had a funny mark, inscribed upon it by him, by them –

He stopped. Voices. He could hear laughter. _He_ was laughing. The same laughter he had heard in his dreams before everything took a turn for the worst.

_James._

He stood, stock still. In front of him, the door to his wildest fantasies. How often did he wish to return to this time?

 _Open the door,_ his mind supplied.

His heart raced. All those days trapped in his parents’ house, he’d been waiting for this, here, now.

This moment.

A torrent of emotions passed through him. Anticipation, guilt, excitement, longing, hope.

Hope.

_Please, please, please._

He closed his eyes, his head pitched forward. His hands were shaking badly, he noted.

_Do it._

He took a deep breath. His hands moved. The door slid open, the laughing stopped. His heart sped up. A second felt like forever.

 _Thump._ Goes his heartbeat, _Thump._ Gathering his courage, he looked up, and opened his eyes. _What will you see?_

A brilliant smile to welcome him home.

 

**_~ ~ Rewriting Fate ~ ~_ **

****

“It seems that the only change is in our minds. Our magic is still underdeveloped, unfortunately. We’ll need some time to get them back to the old standard.”

“Hmm.” The countryside barrelled past him in blurred hues of greens and blues. The weather was decidedly sunny. Turning his head to face his cousin, Regulus stated, “I bet more than 5 minutes.”

Not startled a bit, Narcissa made her own bet, “Less.”

“5 galleons.”

“Fine.”

The boy smirked slightly, “We’ll see.”

The two shared a glance and went back to nurse their own thoughts. The train rattled and jerked in its tracks. The whistle blew. A rowdy bunch of students ran past their compartments, a prefect hot on their tracks. Regulus wished he had a nice cup of tea. And a book. Preferably Shakespeare. He loosened the cricks in his neck and surveyed the compartment. Brown wood panels stood side by side creating the walls and the floor, shiny metal indents gleamed in the sliding door, whose small strip of glass was covered by a cream curtain, clear glass windows showed the view of the countryside, and soft fabric cushions (a deep red) tempted him to curl up and sleep. The same colours he remembered. Yet something was different.

 It didn’t fit them, Reg thought. Narcissa’s pale blonde hair, his own raven black, their green lined robes and badges. _We don’t fit in with at all. Not now._

“Don’t you have any questions?” Narcissa, it seemed, was trying to engage him in another conversation.

Regulus crossed his legs and studied the shiny brown floorboard of the compartment. He decided to entertain her. “Not really.”

“Why not?”

Did he want to know what happened after his death? It seemed like the war went on, so no, he didn’t want to hear about hell. He already knew what he needed.

“The weather’s nice today.”

“… It is, I suppose.”

They fell into silence once again. He stifled a yawn, mentally reminding himself to get a Dreamless Sleep potion as soon as possible. Snape or Madam Pomfrey? He’d need to negotiate payment or give an explanation. _Tch_.

The sound of footsteps neared them. Quite abruptly, the door flew open. Regulus checked the time.

5 minutes, 3 seconds.

He raised his eyes to see Narcissa’s slightly disgruntled expression.

He smirked.

                                                                                                     

**_~ ~ Rewriting Fate ~ ~_ **

 

“I still don’t see the point of me being here when you obviously don’t want me.”

“That makes two of us, _cousin_ ,” Bellatrix replied with a sneer.

Narcissa clapped her hands, “Now, now, try to get along. We have all grown up haven’t we?”

Across from her, and beside Sirius, Regulus snorted.

Slightly offended, Sirius turned to him, “And you. You haven’t said a single word!”

Regulus (the little bugger) dared to purse his lips at him.

“Oh, so we’re talking now?” he asked sarcastically.

Before Sirius could retort back, Narcissa cut in, “ _As I was saying,_ it is in our best interests to keep our little… ‘condition’ a secret. So please try to act as you did. And don’t even _think_ of telling a professor. At least for now.”

Sirius rolled his eyes, “Shouldn’t we tell Dumbledore?”

Narcissa looked conflicted, so Regulus decided to help her, “Honestly, I don’t really see how it can help for him to know. And to be _honest_ , Sirius, we’d rather not. Not everyone likes him, you do realize? On a more important note, I assume it logical for me to wonder whether or not we’re all on the same side?” he asked, gazing questioningly at Bellatrix. In return, she smirked at him, but offered no explanation.

“I assure you we all are,” placated Narcissa.

Regulus considered her answer, sighed, and leant back on his seat.

“Well, since it’s you.”

Narcissa looked pleased, therefore Sirius thought it necessary to inform her that he had in no means believed her. At all. She sent him a withering glare and told him she didn’t care. Then silence encompassed the four of them.

The _awkward_ silence.

Bellatrix and Narcissa seemed to be conversing telepathically using eye movements while Regulus stoically glared at his shoes as if they had personally offended him. Sirius, on the other hand, was tediously searching his mind for an excuse to escape. The world around them went on.

The whistle blew. The engine roared. They were only halfway past their journey.

After about fifteen minutes, Narcissa stood up, said something about visiting friends, and left after offering a sympathetic glance to a betrayed looking Regulus, Bellatrix following right behind her. Thus, the two conflicted men in their teenage bodies were left along with the gigantic elephant in the room.

 _Well then,_ Sirius glanced at the impassive figure next to him, who had returned to glaring at his shiny shoes, _I have to make the first move?_

Sirius cleared his throat; Regulus flinched; the hypothetical elephant in the room snorted.

 _Deep breaths. This shouldn’t be that hard._ “Right, err, first things first, I… was overexcited, a bit, so there, I’ve… um, explained myself. Your turn,” Sirius coughed awkwardly.

No reply.

_Damn you, Reg. Damn you and your apathetical ways to face conflicts._

Sirius tapped his foot impatiently. _Patience, Sirius, patience, What do they say? Right, patience is a virtue._

Five minutes that felt like five hours later, Sirius thought, _Patience is a virtue my ass_. The hypothetical elephant snorted in agreement.

However, right before he spoke, Regulus coughed once, twice, and to Sirius’s great relief, finally spoke.

“I… I suppose I was being a bit… childish… so,” he finished awkwardly. And he slowly raised his head to stare rigidly at Sirius’s left shoulder. Silence.

“…and that was not an apology.”

Sirius couldn’t help it, he laughed.

After a couple of sharp hisses and elbow nudges, he finally stopped laughing to grin at a now flustered and frowning Regulus.

And if looks could kill, then mark Regulus’s words, Sirius would have fallen to the ground right then and there.

“Aren’t you supposed to be patrolling around the train?” Sirius asked.

“Made an excuse with Narcissa. And I ran away from the Prefect compartment. I assume Lupin did the same.”

“Yeah, he probably did that.”

Regulus, whose finally looked him in the eye, said, “Since there wasn’t some huge commotion, I’m assuming you didn’t murder Pettigrew?”

“Err, no. It wouldn’t be quite fair, would it… he – he’s not the one who did that. At least not yet. ”

Those grey eyes, just a shade lighter than his, bored into him, as if they could see his soul.

“…surprising. The Sirius I knew wouldn’t ever think that.”

Sirius averted his eyes, “… the Sirius you knew has grown up.”

“… I see.”

“Into a rather handsome man, if I do say so myself,” he said to lighten the mood. Regulus rolled his eyes.

“And you? The Regulus I knew wouldn’t dare break a rule, even a silly little one.” His little brother had been a stickler for the rules, of course.

Regulus blinked and let the thought mulled in his head.

“I suppose,” he began slowly, “he grew up too.”

“So we did.”

They felt a new respect for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I didn't put the marauders' meeting in there. I actually wrote it and all, but I couldn't fit it in. I also wrote Narcissa and Regulus patrolling the halls and Bellatrix going of to get Sirius. However, if you really do want to read that, then please comment below, and I'll publish these little moments together as a special chapter. I very do want to know your thoughts on this story and my writing style, and I'm always looking for constructive criticism, I wonder if it's obvious, but English is not my first language, and I'm not a native speaker.  
> On another note, I'll be absent next week because I will be going on holiday/vacation with my family. However, I will be back the following week, and here's to hoping I'll go back on schedule. Thank you so much for reading this story, It's my first story, so I'm still improving my writing and insecurities tend to bite me, so your support really means a lot. So thanks once again!  
> Btw, the reason of Siri and Reggie's childishness was the sudden influx of teenage hormones (lol). I wanted to put that in the chapter somewhere, but back then they wouldn't know about hormones now, would they?


	8. And Here We Go Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is chapter 7! Again, this took awhile, sorry about that. I've been trying to improve my writing style. Do tell me your opinions, I'd love to hear them.  
> And thank you for all the comments and kudos! They made me really happy~ ><  
> Without further ado, let's go!

Regulus stepped down from the train, carrying his strap bag. Hurriedly, he hid behind a stone column. Checking to see if anyone was paying him any attention, he slowly slid down to kneel on the floor. Quietly, he set the bag down and zipped it open.

Two sharp green eyes stared back at him.

Smiling softly, he lifted the feline out of the bag.

“Well, hello to you too, Noir.”

He didn’t mean to get a pet, not really. He didn’t have one back then, he didn’t see the need to own one this time.

And yet here he was, kneeling behind a column with a small kitten in his hands.

Regulus had found him in the streets, on the day he had snuck out of the house. He’d been upset, unable to peacefully sleep, and wanting a change of scenery, he had escaped through the front door with the help of Kreacher in the early colours of dawn. The streets had been empty and wet, the parting gift of a rain spell, and he had wandered around, enjoying the peace and quietness and the general lack of people, when he heard a small mewl.

Now, Regulus was by no means an animal person. He had enough troubles on his own, no need to put an annoying pet on the list.

Therefore, the only reason he decided to not ignore it was curiosity, pure curiosity.

The poor thing was in a soaked cardboard box, wet and shivering, hidden in the alley. Its coat was dirty, its folded ears quivering. Upon further inspection, Regulus found it to be a he. As soon as Regulus lifted him out of the box, the kitten mewled and rubbed its head against his hands, clinging to a source of warmth. Against his intentions, he found the little thing to be… cute.

No doubt it had been thrown out, the poor guy. There was no way he would survive if left alone. Regulus had never really cared, he had seen stray cats before, and he had passed them all without a second doubt. And yet, this time something was different.

He wasn’t quite sure why he had decided to bring the poor thing with him. Perhaps he had pitied it, perhaps he had wanted a pet of his own, or perhaps it was because he knew what it felt like to be alone.

Either way, he had carried it home, much to the surprise and displeasure of Kreacher, whom Regulus suspected to be a bit jealous, and washed it and groomed it and fed it and cared for it. It was sort of exciting, he had thought (and still did), to have your own secret pet. His parents would most likely order him to throw it out, and he was in a silent face-off with Sirius. The only other soul who knew about the little kitten was Kreacher, his trusty, if not reluctant, comrade.

Regulus had named him Noir, and although he wasn’t particularly fond of the French or their language (no offense), he had thought it fitting, and in his words, “Now you’re part of the family.”

At present, Noir pawed at his hands, bringing him out of his thoughts, and Regulus lifted the cat into his arms. Heaving a deep breath, he raised his head.

The old castle – turned – school loomed gloriously in the distance, beckoning him, calling to him and a few hundreds of others. He looked down at Noir, and felt a little bit more prepared. “Well then, let’s go catch ourselves a carriage.”

 

_**~ ~ Rewriting Fate ~ ~** _

_“_ Ah, I can’t wait for the Welcome Feast! I’m so hungry!” James grumbled.

“You do realize we still have to wait till after the Sorting, don’t you?” Remus replied, climbing onto the carriage. James scoffed good-naturedly and clambered on after him.

“Wonder what the new ones will be like,” said Peter, sitting in beside Remus. James, who was scanning the crowds for a certain redhead, noticed the lack of his best mate, and called out to him.

“Oy, Padfoot! Hurry on up!”

Sirius was staring at the front of the usually – horseless – now - there’s - this – weird – thing – carriage, mildly wondering if he had gone as batty as Xenophilius Lovegood. Upon hearing James call, he quickly climbed in and settled next to him.

“Can’t you see that?”

“See what?”

“That! Those weird skeletal horses. They’re pulling the carriages!”

Both James and Remus stared at him as if he’s gone nuts. “Sirius, there’s nothing there,” Remus sighed, a bit exasperatedly. “Sirius, you sure you’re okay?” Peter ventured.

“I’m telling you, it’s -”

Precisely then, James managed to find his so called love of his life and hollered to her, grabbing the attention of both her and her friends. Sirius could see the three of them arguing before Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadowes forcibly dragged one Lily Evans to their carriage. Oh, sixth year _. Riiiiiight_. Sirius looked from his best mate’s shining face to Lily’s half-hearted reluctant one.

Well, this was going to be fun.

 

_**~ ~ Rewriting Fate ~ ~** _

“Ah, should I take the same classes or not?”

“Why change?” asked Bellatrix.

Narcissa scribbled something in her journal, “I’ll be bored.”

Bellatrix stifled a yawn, “Well hurry up and decide, else I’m going to bed first.”

The both of them were in the Slytherin common room, one of the few upper years that are still awake.

Her sister sighed and closed her journal, “Nevermind, I’ll take the ones I took last time. I don’t have much taste for divination anyways.”

“Good. You’ve probably forgotten most of them anyways,” said Bella. Stealing a piece of chocolate (wizarding brand, of course) from the opened box beside Cissy, she asked, “By the way, what’re you going to do about lover boy over there?”

Said lover boy was none other than Lucius Malfoy, who was playing chess in front of the fireplace. By the looks of it, he was getting incredibly cornered by his opponent, Severus Snape. However, judging by his calm and relaxed air, he seemed to remain oblivious… or perhaps he was just trying to save face.

Narcissa stared at him. “It feels weird. We’ve been married for years, and now he’s only just started courting me,” she remarked. “But I can’t say I don’t enjoy the view,” she smirked.

Bella rolled her eyes, “Ugh, don’t make me sick. But seriously, are you going to tell him or not?”

Her sister didn’t reply, choosing to gaze at the object of her affections. “I don’t want to lose him,” she whispered, “I won’t be able to bear it.”

Sensing the change in mood, and wanting to cheer her sister up, Bella changed the subject, “Ah, I don’t know how you missed it, but Ickle Reggie has adopted a wee kitten.”

As she had predicted, this took up Cissy’s attention immediately, “What? Where?”

“With him probably. Want to go wake him up?”

“He’s a boy, Bella. And it’s rude to wake him up now.”

Bellatrix smirked and leapt out of her armchair, direction on course to the fifth year boys’ dormitory. “So what?”

 

_**~ ~ Rewriting Fate ~ ~** _

 

**A.N.: This is for the lovely Nyx_Ro, who requested the scene in which Bellatrix and Narcissa discuss their loyalties.**

“Andromeda’s suspecting something,” said Narcissa, stepping into her eldest sister’s room.

“Close the door,” said Bellatrix. She was sitting by her dressing table, tending to her dark locks of hair.

Narcissa closed the door and swept to her side, “We’ve put this off long enough. We need to talk.”

Bellatrix smeared on her facial cream, “Aren’t you forgetting your place, talking to me like that?”

Narcissa snorted, “Oh please, if anything, I’m older than you now, and we both know it.”

Bellatrix sighed and focused her attention on her sister, “How the mighty have fallen. You don’t need to worry about anything; I have no intention of going back to him.”

Narcissa narrowed her eyes, “If you were anyone else, I’d believe you. However, I’m also the one who knows the extent of your… devotion to him.”

Bellatrix looked a little disappointed, “Devotion? That is such a weak word, Cissa. You know it’s not _just_ devotion.”

Narcissa stared resolutely, “I won’t say it. I won’t use such a word in connection to you and _him_.”

The dark haired witch shook her head, “All those years and yet you still can’t accept such a reality. However, that is beside the point. To assure you I will say this, and only this: I simply want a different future.”

Narcissa gazed around her sister’s room. When was the last time she had been here? “That’s hardly reassuring,” she murmured. “You can change your fate simply by telling him all you know. How am I to know you won’t turn your back against me?”

“I evoke my right to stay silent. And do you really think I’m able to stab you in the back?”

Judging that she won’t be able to pry anymore information, Narcissa turned to leave.

“Hold up.”

Narcissa turned back, gaze questioning. Bellatrix was looking at her reflection in the mirror. “…Delphini. What happened to her?”

“ … “

Bellatrix sighed, “As I thought, I’m not a really good mother.” Meeting Cissy’s gaze in the mirror, she said, “You’ve been questioning me, but I wonder, whose side are _you_ really on?”

Narcissa gazed back defiantly, “If you think I’ll let him touch my son again then you’re horribly wrong.”

“I never said that,” said Bella, “But just how are you going to convince his father? If you fail, there may not be a son at all.”

Narcissa found that she couldn’t reply.

Bellatrix rose from her seat and escorted her out of the room.

“Just think about it. Good evening, Cissy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I keep on forgetting these, sorry. The characters in this story belongs to none other than the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the plot.  
> I have no betas, so all mistakes in grammar and everything else are mine. (Why is it so hard to review your own writing?)  
> By the way, here's a question for you guys: What classes should they take?


	9. Midnight Rendezvous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For once, I'm on schedule. Huh.  
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.  
> This chapter is unbeta-ed and not reviewed properly, oops.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!

Regulus cautiously walked through the halls of Hogwarts. It was way past curfew, and he didn’t really have a good reason if he got caught, prefect or not.

“Alright Noir, you lead the way,” he said to the small cat in front of him.

Noir meowed.

It’s been a month. Regulus fitted seamlessly back into his old routine. Classes, prefect duties, and the usual sojourn to the library; with the addition of a new pet. To be honest, he wasn’t sure if changing the timeline was a good idea, but this wasn’t your usual time-turner problem, so he decided it was fine.

There was little else he could do, after all.

_Why was he here? How did he came to be here?_

He’s been looking through the books in the library, searching for a clue or an explanation. So far nothing has turned up.

He couldn’t find anything on horcruxes either.

In front of him, Noir let out a quiet mewl. Quickly, he hid in a small alcove, taking cover in the shadows. He could hear them now, the quiet footsteps. A moment later, Mrs Norris passed, with Filch scowling after her.

When he couldn’t hear them anymore, he slowly eased back out. The school was a beautiful place in the night, with all its enchanted, haunting glory. The very air he breathed smelled like history. It made him wonder of the people from years past. What were they like? What did they do?

Noir nudged him, hissing in the way which Mrs Norris and Filch disappeared.

“Yes, yes, I know you don’t like her. Me neither,” said he. Quickly, he ran up the stairs bathed in soft moonlight. The corridors were dark, their lights blown off. Using his wand to light the way, Regulus reached the abandoned classroom from the note Sirius had given him this morning. He walked in, wary of what was going on inside.

It seemed that he had worried for nothing. Sirius was at the front, sitting on the old teacher’s desk, looking bored. Narcissa was sitting on one of the front row chairs; Bellatrix leaning on the desk in front of her. The room was fairly small, perhaps used in the old days for a small extracurricular class. Regulus closed the door behind him, and walked to the seat beside Narcissa, trying to gauge the atmosphere. He greeted his cousins with a nod, before turning to his older brother, “Well? What did you call us here for?”

Sirius pursed his lips, before walking towards them. His body language seemed hesitant and anxious. “You remember when you said we shouldn’t tell anyone?” he asked.

“Mustn't”

“Yes, mustn’t, shouldn’t, same difference,” he waved it off. His eyes searched the stone walls, trying to come up with how to phrase his question. Sighing, he faced them with a determined gleam, “I need to tell them,” he said with conviction.

Narcissa didn’t look impressed. “No.”

Sirius deflated, even though his face was half irritated, “You didn’t even ask who I’m talking about.”

“I don’t need to. You’re talking about those friends of yours, those disgusting half-bloods.”

Sirius became angry. If you ever had your best friend insulted, you’d know how he felt. Trying to rein his emotions, he faced her with steel eyes. “Apologise,” he demanded.

Narcissa wanted to say something insulting, but a hand held her back. Lifting up her gaze, she saw Regulus, who imperceptibly shook his head. Biting her tongue, she said, “I apologise if I made you angry, but I don’t think I’m wrong.”

Sirius fumed even further; Regulus wanted to slap his own face.

To be fair, she didn’t sound all that apologetic.

Sighing, as he was wont to do these days, Regulus decided to take control of the situation. “I don’t see why you should tell them,” he said reasonably.

“They’ve been worried about me. Said I’ve been acting weird.”

“So stop acting weird.”

“It’s not that easy,” Sirius complained, hands gesturing everywhere, “You try spending time with your best friend’s murderer, see how well you do.”

 _Murderer?_ _Who? Ah-_

“Could you be talking about Pettigrew?”

“Who else? I keep on telling myself to stop being so damn angry at him, but it’s not working.”

All of a sudden, Sirius looked tired, his eyes showing his true age. Rubbing his forehead, he said, “I know it’s not him. He’s different. At least right now. But I get angry every time I imagine him in a few years’ time.” He slid down to the stone floor, “Because I know he’ll do the same thing all over again.”

Regulus felt tired himself. Things with his brother were complicated. They no longer ignored each other in the hallways now, much to the confusement of their peers. Although he can’t say they were very friendly, either.

Holding back a yawn, he was constantly tired these days, he tried to break it out to his brother gently, “I still don’t think that’s a good enough reason.”

Sirius was quiet. Then he stood back up, staring into Regulus’ eyes, as if he was searching for something.

“The full moon has just passed,” Sirius said, under his breath.

Regulus gazed back at him, confused, trying to make sense of his brother’s words. Sirius can be either direct or subtly unsubtle. Regulus guessed this was a case of the latter.

Sirius looked annoyed now. “My friends and I took a little walk.” When no reply came, "Under the moon," he clarified.

Regulus was still confused, before his eyes widened in realisation. Quietly, he asked his cousins, “Can you please leave us alone?”

Narcissa opened up her mouth to protest, but Bellatrix quickly nodded and dragged her sister outside. “See you tomorrow, Reggiekins,” she said cheerfully.

Regulus frowned at the nickname, but he bid them goodbye.

After they left, Sirius walked to the front of the classroom, facing the wardrobe.

“You know, don’t you?” His voice was quiet. Regulus was about to reply, but his brother continued first, “Don’t deny it. I’ve seen the way you look at him. Remus has noticed too.”

Swallowing dryly, Regulus said, “I wasn’t going to deny it,” a pause, “It wasn’t that hard. I’ve always known. To think that a werewolf is walking in the same halls as us. Dumbledore is a fool.”

Sirius’s face hardened, “He’s a kind man who let a child received the education he deserved.”

“I won’t deny that either,” Regulus muttered. “Though I’m rather afraid he’d eventually hurt someone.”

“He’s not a monster,” Sirius defended, getting a bit mad.

“Is that so?” Regulus walked towards Sirius, looking at him with knowing eyes, “I daresay Severus would disagree with you.”

Sirius flinched. “That’s low, Regulus.”

“Unfortunately for you, you aren’t able to undo that,” Regulus said, not unkindly. “Though the potion can remove the risk of attacking altogether.”

Sirius turned to him, “Then you understand? Why I need to tell them? I can make the potion, but it hasn’t been invented, not yet.”

Regulus wanted to bang his head on a desk. “You do realise it’s not that easy to make Wolfsbane? Only certified potion masters can make them.”

“I’ve made it before. And I can get the supplies easily,” he smirked, “Slughorn’s dying to get me into his Slug Club.”

Regulus was hesitant, “I still don’t think this is a good idea.”

Sirius shrugged, “To be honest, I was going to tell them whether you gave me your approval or not.”

His younger brother glared at him, “I didn’t say I was finished. In return, you and your group of friends won’t cause any problems for the Slytherins again. “

Sirius’ face fell, “I wasn’t planning on purposefully doing that.”

“But you weren’t going to stop Potter from doing it either,” accused Regulus. “It’s not fun you know, hearing stories of your brother bullying your housemates, especially your upperclassman whom you spend a lot of time studying with.”

Sirius blanched, “You’re spending time with _him_?”

Regulus looked bored. “Oh come now, Sirius. Do act more like an adult, won’t you? Yes, I’m spending time with him. If you’d noticed, he and Evans aren’t exactly on speaking terms now, are they?” he shrugged, “And Cissy told me it would be a good idea to get on his good side. Besides, I actually enjoy having a good intellectual conversation partner.”

“Bah,” scoffed Sirius. “As if Snivellus even has a good side,” he said, choosing to take only that part of the conversation.

“Oh, grow up,” Regulus said exasperatedly. “So do we have a deal?” he asked, turning back on the topic.

“Yes. Fine. Alright. But only because of Remus,” Sirius said. Out of nowhere, he felt something rub against his leg and let out a (manly) shriek.

Regulus jumped and, catching sight of his cat, knelt down to pick it up.

“Calm down, it’s just Noir.”

Sirius turned to his brother, bewildered, “Who?”

“You haven’t met him?”

“No,” said Sirius. Looking from the cat to Regulus, he grinned, “He’s as small as you are.”

Grumbling something about stupid Gryffindors and hopeless idiots, Regulus turned for the door and left, fuming.

Sirius grinned, quickly running up to him. He wanted to know more about the cat.

 

_**~ ~ Rewriting Fate ~ ~** _

“Huh,” Bellatrix slipped out from the shadows. Turning to her sister, she asked, “Well now, what should we do?”

Narcissa was quiet, although her face was conflicted. “The proper thing for a student to do is to tell a teacher.”

Bellatrix hummed, “But we’re not exactly students, are we? More like adults trapped in their teenage bodies.” Stretching her limbs, she added, “Then again, I’m sure Dumbledore already knows.”

Narcissa sighed discarded all means of grace and propriety, thumping against the wall with a hand running down her face. The night was cold and quiet, not even the ghosts dare disrupt it. Tomorrow they’d go back to classes and forgotten lessons, but as everyday passed by, the anxiety and restlessness heightened.

“We keep quiet,” said Narcissa.

Bellatrix, in an uncharacteristic show of empathy, whispered softly, “We can’t keep doing nothing, Cissa.”

Narcissa gave her a grunt. “I know. What do you propose, some sort of secret society?” she joked.

Bellatrix mulled the idea in her head, “That’s actually not a bad idea.”

Narcissa frowned, worried for her sister’s sake, “It was a joke. And we don’t have the place to do such crazy ideas.”

Bellatrix hummed, twirling in a manic fashion, “Alright, so we talk it out with them first. Well we better hurry up, or Reggie will be suspicious if we arrive later than him." With that, she bounded across the the stone floor, pulling her sister exuberantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, school is starting this Monday, so updates will probably be bi-weekly or monthly. Please keep an eye out for it. I'll try my best to be quick, but I want this story to be well thought out, so bear with me. Have a nice weekend, all you lovely people!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated.


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